THE PAIN of constant injections and the risk of serious organ damage for 400 young children in the Mid West has ended with the roll-out of insulin pump provision in Limerick.
Children under five years of age will be the first to receive the important equipment, with the rest of the 400 children – 250 of them in Limerick – following on.
Until now, the University Hospital in Limerick did not have a full-time nurse specialist or a clinical dietician attached to the diabetes clinic to help families use the specialist pumps, which measure insulin levels and administer it as needed.
The appointments have now been made and this week, parents and children were invited to a party to launch the scheme at the hospital.
Cecilia Hoffmann is hopeful that her ten-year-old son, Werner, will soon be in line to receive one of the pumps.
“But I agree the under five’s should get them first – small babies can’t understand why they need a needle in their leg every day,” she told the Limerick Post.
Pediatric endocrinology consultant Dr Koppikar explained that the pumps hugely reduce the risk of wild peaks and troughs in insulin levels, a problem which makes children very sick and can cause organ failure. ”
“It also dispenses with multiple injections. We’re delighted for the families,” she said.
